India Post launches free digital parcel locker service

To ease the collection of consignments for customers, the Department of Posts is launching a parcel locker facility via digitally-enabled kiosks.

The pilot services started on Thursday in Kolkata in two post offices - the Nabadiganta IT Post Office in Sector 5 of Salt Lake and New Town.

An official at the Nabadiganta IT Post office confirmed the development to Entrackr.

"The digital locker service will be available from tomorrow after the inauguration today," said the official. The pilot will continue for two months before it is introduced to other post offices, he added.

The move is expected to majorly help working professionals who often miss getting their consignments because of not being at home.

According to the India Post official, the facility involves dropping the parcels into 'Digital Parcel Lockers', followed by issuing an SMS Intimation with an OTP number to the customer.

The shipment can then be collected by opening the locker using the OTP. It will help customers get their parcels round the clock and as per their convenience. The OTP will be valid for seven days post which the parcel will be sent back to the sender.

This service will also help post offices overcome the hassle of sending the postman repeatedly to the same address, the official added.

Initially, the parcel locker service will be available for consignments received through registered post or speed post.

Later, it may extend the services to private courier companies and tie-up with e-commerce firms such as Flipkart and Amazon.

Entarckr's queries to India Post seeking more detail remained unanswered until the publication of the report.

This digitally-enabled parcel locker service is available in many countries in Europe and Southeast Asia. This is for the first time that such a service for postal consignments has been introduced in India.